One of Tempe's first and biggest redevelopment projects is going to be demolished and rebuilt once again. The owner of Centerpoint on Mill has plans to raze many of the buildings, including the Harkins Theatres, an office building and a row of single-story shops that includes the Coffee Plantation. Centerpoint also would get a new plaza to replace the often empty area in front of the theaters.

Going to the movies right off of Mill Ave has been a long-time tradition of mine, and many others, but with the theaters at AZ Mills and new theaters going into the gigantic development project of Tempe Marketplace nearby it is certainly obvious why Centerpoint Harkins Theaters is doomed to die.

I certainly haven’t been a fan of Coffee Plantation due to their commonly draconian managerial dynasties, often terrible service, and bad-neighbor behavior—but some of my friends worked there and as much as I dislike what Coffee did to the Ave by putting up fences, and acting like snotty jerks, they have become a part of Mill Ave. So I will salute them when their building is razed to the ground by these developers.

Also in the region to be razed to rubble is UNO’s Pizzeria, Red Tuesday, Squeeze (which I think is already gone), and the burnt-out shell of what once was Duck Soup.

“If you want to picture the future of Mill Ave, imagine a condominium foundation stomping on the face of humanity — forever.”

Can someone tell me: what’s going to happen to our bronze bunnies? Do I have to start a “Save the Bunnies” campaign…?

One popular Centerpoint feature will remain -- the giant jackrabbit sculpture. The rabbits are featured in tourist literature and often used as a backdrop for family photos. DMB knew it couldn't get rid of them.

"The jackrabbits -- they have to stay there," Kunasek Taylor said. "There would be an uprising."

Crisis averted!

Pfew. For a moment there I was afraid that we would have to actually get angry about something totally petty and silly instead of feeling uprooted, mistreated, and otherwise jerked around by these big-city developers who have been screwing around with Mill Ave’s economy without regard to the actual Mill Avenue community.

Of course, they did get one thing right: our bathos for those rabbits runs deep, even as a fractured community, Mill Ave is a very sentimental crew—we love our bunnies.

Last edited by Vex Harrow on Wed Aug 15, 2007 4:43 pm; edited 2 times in total

Suprised anyone remembers Duck Soup well enough to recognize its remains. Draconian, absentee, asshole managment notwithstanding; CP used to be place where people could meet, talk and laugh (if only to bemoan Draconian, absentee, asshole management.) Tempe Beach Park used to be spooky and cool. There was a time when one could count on encountering (preferably participating) in general Mill Ave. freakiness. Now...not so much. Tearing down Centerpoint is really just a sad formality.

No, I can say for certain that even if you are a drone you definitely succeeded.

I suppose there is that odd pondering over what we're going to get in place of the theaters and CP. If it does end up being hotels and another condo tower and nowhere else to actually sit down and enjoy ourselves, we may end up having to hover around Starbucks...

The "beach" was cool? ever?
I remember when it wasn't there, and hanging out under the bridge was cool. I miss that. Even with the litter and vague urine smell that was always present under there... the park is too sterile, too shade lacking, too unfriendly.
Though, I have to admit that inflatable dams are an impressively neat concept... I don't think I will ever be able to consider that a lake, a beach, or a park.
*shudder*
I often see that park as one of the first signs of the downfall of all that was.

I remember when there was a nice grassy hill that you could kick back on in front of the theater, and there was a small park on the east side of the street (I think where Borders is now, not sure). When Superbowl 30 came through it was the beginning of the end. I thought they got rid of the old stuff once they razed Long Wong's, but now they're razing the relatively new stuff?!? I read the other day the city council nixed plans for a developer to build a high-rise overhanging Monti's, thank god. I miss the days when Mill was ASU's 'campustown' - now its turning into glass & steel. I can see the day when people get tired of going there & there will be abandoned lots with buildings half finished because the tourist $ ran out. I don't think they'll take down the mill, unless the land it sits on gets real expensive and it becomes hidden by all these new developments they want to build.

They really nixed the project that would overhang a condo over Monti's? I did not know that.

I knew that Monti's had sold out to a developer that would produce some sort of development around/behind them, but very little about what that entailed. Mostly I'd discovered that by reading Michael Monti's blog and another blogger who (wasn't too happy with what Monti's was doing "selling out.") I have no opinion of it right now, but I'm glad not to see more condos then we already have.

I too miss that grass hill that used to be there. Mill Avenue Vexations hopes to feature it in an upcoming comic about what Mill Ave has lost.

Even with all these changes, though, I still look forward to what may grow out of it.